1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to communicating with an electronic device that is not turned on to tailor the configuration and programs of the device for special applications and to store configuration data which can then be utilized by telecommunications systems in which the device is incorporated.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the art to construct general purpose hardware computers and then tailor them for special applications by loading an operating system and other control programs into each computer that tailors each computer for an application such as text processing, graphic arts, scientific calculation, financial accounting, teller work station, bank officer work station, point of sale, process control, internet or other database access communication as well as other applications too numerous to mention.
In addition, each computer must be configured with characteristics unique to the operator or workstation to which the computer will be assigned. Examples are the users name, network configuration parameters, and the identity of the programs that will be needed in the workstation of each computer. In the past, the computer had to be powered up and the configuration choices entered by the keyboard or by a removable media prepared in advance, and programs must be loaded into the computer from removable media such as a diskette or a CDROM or from a communication line. U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,501 shows an example of the steps that need to be accomplished in the prior art to configure a workstation. Often this configuration was left for the user to accomplish when the computer is unpacked.
Patent application Ser. No. 08/971,386 of common assignee describes a method and apparatus for allowing the task of configuring the computer operating system and installing the programs to be controlled from a central location. This avoids an inconvenient and daunting task for a person who is not familiar with the specific computer and who has little experience in deciphering program installation instructions. The cost of the apparatus was significant however due to the need for an antenna to be installed as part of the apparatus and connected to an RFID chip which loaded the serial number, program image profile and user information in a dual ported electronic non-volatile memory identification tag. The tag has a wireless memory interface for radio frequency access without the need for AC power and a standard parallel or serial interface to the computer's bus for normal access while the computer is running under power. The dual ported RFID tag wireless radio frequency (RF) interface derives its own power from an RF signal that transmits digital program profile and configuration information to the identification tag as the computer is in transit in its shipping carton on a conveyor for example. The ferrite or air wound antenna requires well known tuning and sensitivity adjustments and accordingly is relatively expensive to manufacture and complex to assemble into the electronic device as compared with the instant invention.